Bradenstoke Methodist Church seeks information (pic the chapel, which was opened in 1886)

Plans to sell the Methodist chapel at Bradenstoke have prompted sensitive investigation of burial records for its small graveyard.

The minister, the Rev David Gray, said, "The current congregation, who now worship in the adjacent Sunday school hall, weekly at 3pm, have decided to sell the chapel, and to use some of the money to update the hall and make it more of a community asset.

"Unusually for a Methodist church, Bradenstoke chapel has a cemetery that has been in use for almost 150 years.

The historic section, with graves dating from over 100 years ago, will be sold with the chapel. The more recent graves will be incorporated into a Memorial Garden that will be maintained by North Wiltshire Methodist Circuit and will be accessible to members of the public."

More recent graves at the front of the chapel will need to be relocated in the Memorial Garden. The church has contacted most of the families concerned, but have not yet traced the descendants of a Mr and Mrs Cave who were buried in the 1950s. Can any Gazette reader offer information that will help?

In the absence of detailed records at the church, funeral directors (Maslins) of Royal Wootton Bassett, have assisted in tracing several families.

The Rev Gray said, "So far there are no leads on the relatives of Mr and Mrs Cave. and I hope anyone with information will contact me on (01249) 653094."

He added, “A situation like this is something we’re not trained for in ministry, but Maslins have been extremely helpful – including dealing with the consents needed from the Ministry of Justice, for exhumation and reburial.

Maslins will also assist in the creation of the Memorial garden including relocating gravestones. We realise how sensitive this process is. Therefore we hope relatives will contact me so that we can explain to them what is happening and involve them in the process.”